Make-up? (Hallie)

[Regina Curry]

Regina was going to talk to Hallie one way or another. She had seen her moping a little, and Regina had been slightly lost since she hadn't talked to or been around Hallie. Everytime she seemed to come around, Hallie disappeared. Sure, Regina had been hanging out with Thane, and she loved every minute of it. She also wanted Hallie back. It wasn't her fault that she was picked and wished that Hallie didn't feel the way she did.

Today, Regina was set on talking to Hallie. Being around Thane had given her just a little bit of courage and she was going to use it today. She had to get Hallie back, because she missed her best friend. Plus, she needed to talk to her and tell her everything.

[Hallie Monroe]

Hallie shuffled into the common room, her head hung low and her face buried in a book. She'd been tripping a lot less lately, but only because she'd been depressed, which caused her to move more slowly. But although she seemed to be involved in her book, she was actually lost in a daydream of Ivan. He was so cute, and the fact that he'd actually stood up for her against Charlotte made her like him even more. She only wished he had asked her to the dance. She wasn't sorry that she was going with Kyle, as he was one of her best friends, but she still couldn't help but wish Ivan had asked her. But then, she was probably hoping for too much. Charlotte was right; who'd look twice at mousy little Hallie, with her frizzy hair, glasses, bad skin, and flat chest?

She wished she could talk about all of this with Regina, but they still weren't speaking to each other. OK, it was mostly Hallie's fault. She'd been avoiding her best friend ever since the ceremony. She knew it was selfish of her to be jealous of Regina... but she'd really wanted to be chosen. She'd really wanted the chance to prove herself.

Sighing heavily, she walked towards the sofas, her nose still in the book. She failed to see a shoe that someone (probably Thane) had lost in the middle of the floor, and she stumbled over it, dropping her book and catching herself with her hands against the back of the sofa.

And that's when she saw Regina sitting by the fire. She was the only other one in the common room at that time, and there wasn't really any good way to avoid her without being openly rude.

"Hey," she said, biting down on her lower lip.

[Regina Curry]

Regina heard someone hit something and she quickly turned around, forgetting about what she was thinking about at the moment. A grin spread across her face. "Hallie," she said excitedly. She left her chair and picked up the book Hallie dropped. "I've been looking for you. I keep on missing you, but I'm glad you're here! I really need to talk to you."

She looked Hallie over. She seemed to have changed a little bit. There was something about the look in her eyes, but Regina wasn't going to ask about that just yet. "I'm sorry for everything Hallie. I miss you and I want to try to make it up to you some how or another."

[Hallie Monroe]

Hallie hesitated, but she couldn't stay mad at her best friend. Smiling slightly, she shrugged. "It's OK. I'm sorry, too. I guess I was being kind of selfish. I was so busy feeling sorry for myself that I never even congratulated you. I... I wanted to be the Ravenclaw champion... but, realistically, I would have been a crappy choice. I'm glad it chose you instead."

[Regina Curry]

Regina smiled as Hallie did. She got up from her chair and hugged her. "You wouldn't have been a crappy choice. You would've been a great choice. I think you would have done fine, after all we're smart people."

She linked arms with Hallie. "Let's sit on the couch. We have much to catch up on. First, let's start with you. There's something different about you. I can tell. You've got to spill!"

[Ivan Kresimir]

Ivan entered the common rooms with a small stack of books in one arm from the library. He saw the two girls, one he remembered was Hallie from when he'd met her in the courtyard, and he had only briefly seen the other girl, Regina, but of course he knew her name since she'd been chosen champion of his house. He waved at them but didn't say anything. They seemed to be having a private conversation and he didn't want to interrupt. Besides he had to do some studying in his room and that was where he'd been headed. He walked past them, and went up the stairs to the boys dorms, and only a few moments later he was gone from sight.

[Hallie Monroe]

Hallie was about to tell Regina about the cute boy who had helped her in the courtyard when the very same boy walked in. He waved at them and then quickly moved through and up the stairs. Hallie was unable to disguise the look on her face as he passed through. "Regina!" she gasped, once Ivan was out of sight. "I think I'm in love! With him!" She indicated the staircase where he had vanished. "He helped me in the courtyard yesterday with Charlotte... And he's so cute, don't you think? Of course he barely knows I'm alive..." she finished, deflated. "But, oh! I also have a date for the Yule Ball! Can you believe it? I wish it was him... but it's with Kyle. Kyle's nice and cute, too, right? You don't think he'll find someone prettier than me and dump me, do you?"

[Regina Curry]

Regina waved back to Ivan as he entered and disappeared up the stairs. She looked back at Hallie with a slight confused look, but then it eased into a smile. "He's kinda cute," she said agreeing. "Although, he may notice you more than you think. You never know, so don't doubt yourself so quickly."

Regina couldn't help but giggle quietly at Hallie's antics. She missed this. "You have a date!? That's awesome! Kyle's nice, and he's kinda cute too. And Hallie, trust me, I don't think he would do that. If he wanted to go with someone else, don't you think he would have asked them instead? Oh! Maybe we can get ready together and possibly go shopping! Thane asked me to go to the ball." A pink tint rose in her cheeks.

[Hallie Monroe]

Hallie smiled. "Oooh, really? Thane is pretty cute and nice... I'm glad he asked you. We should totally go dress shopping, I just hope I can find something that looks good on me. And do you think maybe you can help me to look... not like me? I mean... I know I'm not pretty, but if maybe I can at least look different from my usual self, then he won't regret asking me. I don't really know why he wants to go with me, but I don't want to embarass him or anything. Oh... and I need someone to help me learn how to dance so I don't fall on top of him..."

[Regina Curry]

"Of course I can help you, and Hallie, you are pretty! I'm not just saying that cause we're friends. We can make you almost unrecognizable. I'm sure that we can find everything that we need in Hogsmeade," said Regina excitedly. "And Hallie, don't put yourself down! I bet that he's not regretting asking you! If he would, then he would have asked you! We still have a while before the dance, and I'm sure that if he did want to go with someone else, he would have asked them instead of you. So, don't put yourself down."

She offered her a smile. "And we can help you dance. I'm sure that you'll be better on your feet at dancing than you think you are." Regina gave her a wink. "If you want, I can help you, or we can ask Thane, or we can even ask Kyle."

[Hallie Monroe]

Hallie shook her head doubtfully when Regina said she was pretty. She knew she wasn't; she'd accepted that long ago. She still wished things were different, but she had accepted it. But she agreed, at least, that Kyle probably wouldn't have asked her if he didn't really want to go with her. She still didn't understand why, but there was so much time before the dance that it wouldn't have made sense for him to ask her unless he really wanted to go with her.

"No, I promise you, I'm not a good dancer. I can't even walk straight without tripping over something. I'm not expecting any miracles or anything; I just want to be able to get through a few slow dances without making a fool of myself. Well, more than I usually do, anyway."

[Regina Curry]

"Hallie, you don't know that you're not a good dancer. You don't know about anything until you try. As long as you don't focus on your feet and concentrate on something else, you'll be just fine. I promise you. You can surprise yourself. That I know for sure," she said. "And I promise you will not make a fool out of yourself. I'll be there with you during the ball, and I'm sure that Kyle won't let you fall." Regina smiled at her.

"So, when do you want to go to Hogsmeade? We can even try on the most obscene dresses while we try and find the ones we really want. I think it'll be pretty fun."

[Hallie Monroe]

Hallie giggled. "Well, yes, that could be kind of fun, actually. We could try on crazy ones with feathers and... what are those shiny things again? Sequins. Yes, that would look pretty ridiculous, wouldn't it?"

She frowned again as she touched her hair. "But what are we going to do about this frizzy mess? I wish there was some way we could make it look good. And what about my glasses?" She sighed. "It's utterly hopeless. I bet I won't even be able to find a good dress."

[Regina Curry]

Regina smiled. "Don't worry about your hair, or your glasses Hallie! We're witches after all! I'm sure that there is something that we can find to straighten your hair! I promise you will look beautiful! No one will be able to reconize you!" She started to become excited again. "And we will find you the perfect dress! I know it! Of course, we just have to add the crazy looking ones in for extra entertainment!"

[Hallie Monroe]

Hallie sincerely doubted that she would look beautiful. The most she could really hope for, she thought, was to look different from how she usually looked. "Well, as long as I don't look like me, it should be OK. I wouldn't want to disappoint Kyle. But dress shopping will be fun. Maybe we could go this weekend?"

[Regina Curry]

"Aw, I don't think you'll disappoint him. After all, he did ask you to go to the dance while you looked like yourself didn't he?" Regina smiled at Hallie. "And you're pretty as you are Hallie. I wouldn't just tell you that to be telling you either. Honesty is the best way to go. And this weekend sounds great! We'll have the times of our lives this weekend and forget about what has been going on at school for just a little bit."

[Hallie Monroe]

Hallie still didn't believe for one moment that she was pretty. She really didn't believe in herself much at all; about the only good thing she thought she had going for her was her mind. If only her body would cooperate! But she knew better than to argue with Regina. They'd had this argument a few too many times before, and it usually ended in Hallie dropping the subject.

"School has been weird lately, hasn't it? I still can't believe Katie is dead... She was a fifth year and we hardly even knew her... it feels like we should have, you know? Do you think it has something to do with the tournament?"

[Regina Curry]

"School has turned a bit weird," Regina agreed. "I don't know if it has anything with the tournament. Katie didn't have anything to do with it at all, and I haven't figured out if someone was trying to send a message what that message could be by killing Katie. I mean, if they were trying to say that they would kill anyone, it doesn't matter who they are, then I think the person got their point across. Although, that is the only thing I can think of. I just don't get it."

[Hallie Monroe]

Hallie frowned. "Or maybe the message is that no place is safe. Not even the school. It's really pretty scary, isn't it? I hope... I hope you'll be safe in the tournament. Just be careful. I don't know what I'd do if something ever happened to you. And I'm really sorry I've been ignoring you... I was jealous, but I realize now I shouldn't have been. The goblet chose the right person. I'm glad it was you." She gave Regina a quick hug.